1. Technical Field
The present disclosure relates to a method for making a carbon nanotube metal composite.
2. Description of Related Art
The discovery of carbon nanotubes has stimulated a great amount of research efforts around the world. Carbon nanotubes are characterized by the near perfect cylindrical structures of seamless graphite. Carbon nanotubes possess unusual mechanical, electrical, magnetic, catalytic, and capillary properties. A wide range of applications use carbon nanotubes as one-dimensional conductors in nanoelectronic devices, as reinforcing fibers in polymeric and carbon composite materials, as absorption materials for gases such as hydrogen, and as field emission sources.
In recent years, carbon nanotube metal composites have become a hot subject of research. However, there are still difficulties in the field of carbon nanotube metal composites. Because carbon nanotubes have great surface area and specific surface energy, it is difficult to evenly disperse the carbon nanotubes in a metal powder matrix. To solve this problem, carbon nanotubes undergo mechanical ball milling so they can be blended with metal particles to obtain a carbon nanotube metal composite. However, the structure of carbon nanotubes after mechanical ball milling may suffer serious damage.
What is needed, therefore, is to provide a method for making a carbon nanotube metal composite.